Gulf | Bahrain
Iran envoy denies closing of scribes' Tehran office
Iran's ambassador to Bahrain has rejected claims that the Tehran offices of the Association of Iranian Journalists have been closed down.
- By Habib Toumi, Bureau Chief
- Published: 23:34 September 14, 2009
Manama: Iran's ambassador to Bahrain has rejected claims that the Tehran offices of the Association of Iranian Journalists have been closed down.
"We never closed the offices of the association. This is a blatant lie that is part of the media and psychological campaign against Iran," Hussain Amir Abdollahian said.
"The fact is that some students claimed that they were journalists or working for the media in order to cover or take pictures of the developments in Iran and then e-mail them through the internet in return for financial rewards. These are the people who were arrested. The Western media exploited the situation and claimed that these students were journalists."
According to the Iranian diplomat, the articles written by some professional journalists were intended to "create havoc in the country". "Their purpose was not to criticise, but to undermine the regime," Abdollahian told Al Bilad daily.
The ambassador's denial follows a call by the Brussels-based International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) on last Friday for Iranian authorities to open the office of the Association of Iranian Journalists (AoIJ).
"The Association said the decision was illegal and has submitted an application signed by 325 Iranian journalists to the prosecutor general for the reopening of their office," IFJ said in a statement sent to Gulf News.
"This measure was clearly designed to disrupt the work of the Association," Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary, said. He called the office closure "yet another act of media repression played out in recent months in Iran".
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